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How to Use Freshsales CRM to Automate Sales Funnel in 2026

by | Last updated Jan 20, 2026

How to use Freshsales

Do you feel like you are drowning in a sea of messy spreadsheets?

Many sales teams struggle to keep track of every lead.

It is frustrating to watch customers slip through the cracks because you forgot to email them back.

This manual work steals your time and kills your growth.

You can use Freshsales CRM to put your sales funnel on autopilot.

This guide will show you how to use Freshsales CRM to automate your tasks and close more deals with ease.

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Start your free Freshsales CRM trial and see results in a few seconds! Explore the platform and revolutionize your customer relationship management (CRM). Visit their site properly now.

Freshsales CRM Tutorial

Learning a new software tool can often feel like a difficult mountain to climb.

But we have designed this Freshsales CRM tutorial to be very simple and straightforward for you.

You will quickly see how to set up your specific sales steps.

Also, manage your daily tasks without any unnecessary confusion.

It covers everything from moving deal cards across your screen to using smart AI tools.

That helps you work much faster than before.

Let’s get started on this journey together!

How to Use Pipeline Management

Visualizing your sales journey is a great way to close more deals.

Pipeline management shows you exactly where every lead stands in your process.

This means you will not lose track of your work.

You can find out which deals need help before they become a problem.

Using the Freshsales suite makes this very easy for anyone to learn.

Step 1: Define Your Custom Deal Stages

  • Open the deals module to start your sales process and click to add a new deal.
  • Give your pipeline a name that matches how you sell your products.
  • Pick a lifecycle stage for each column, like “Discovery” or “Won.”
  • You can try these features out with no strings attached today.
  • The best part is that no credit card is required to get started.

Step 2: Drag-and-Drop Lead Organization

  • Go to the funnel view to see every new contact as a small card.
  • This view helps you follow the customer’s journey from start to finish.
  • Click and hold a card to move it when a new account moves forward.
  • Update the deal value quickly without leaving your main screen.
Freshsales Emails

Step 3: Track Real-Time Analytics

  • Use the search term “Reports” in the sidebar to find your data.
  • Check your sales velocity to see how fast you are making money.
  • Look for stages where people stop buying so you can fix the problem.
  • If you need more help, feel free to connect with us at any time.

How to Use Workflow Automation

Do you want to save time on every task?

Workflow automation handles the boring work for you.

It helps your business run fast without extra effort. You can focus on your audience while the software does the rest.

It is like having a helper for your service goals.

Step 1: Set Your Trigger Event

  • First, log in to your Freshworks portal and click on settings.
  • You need to create a new rule to start the automation.
  • Pick a trigger, like when a new contact signs up on your website.
  • For example, you can start a workflow when a user changes a lead status.

Step 2: Define the Automated Action

  • Tell the system to send an email to your new contacts right away.
  • You can also update the date of a follow-up automatically.
  • The system can even assign a new account to specific users on your team.
  • This helps you engage with people the moment they show interest.
Freshsales Workflow

Step 3: Activate and Monitor the Workflow

  • Check all your data to make sure the steps are correct.
  • Make sure you have the right phone number or email for each account.
  • Turn the workflow on so every user can see it working.
  • Look at the logs to see how many people the automation helped today.

How to Use Custom AI Agents

In 2026, using AI is the best method to stay ahead of others.

Custom AI agents work like smart team members for your organization.

They help with managing your busy schedule and talking to leads.

You will save a lot of time every single day.

Step 1: Configure Your AI Agent’s Goal

  • Open the ui in your settings to find the AI section.
  • Click to create a new agent and choose what it should do.
  • Upload your company files so the AI knows about your products.
  • This helps the AI answer questions from anyone who is interested in your business.

Step 2: Deploy the Agent on Your Funnel

  • Link your agent to your chat or email so it can start working.
  • Tell the AI when it should stop and ask a human for help.
  • The AI can even help with booking meetings for your sales team.
  • Test the agent to make sure every meeting it sets is correct.
Freshsales Smart AI Agents1

Step 3: Review AI Insights and Suggestions

  • Look at a lead’s record to see what the AI has learned.
  • Read the tips on how to talk to the lead to close the deal.
  • The AI makes managing your daily work much faster and easier.
  • Use these smart insights to grow your business every month.

Freshsales CRM Alternatives

Here are several Freshsales CRM alternatives with a brief overview of each:

  • GoHighLevel: An all-in-one marketing and sales platform designed for agencies and businesses, offering comprehensive tools including funnel builders, email marketing, SMS automation, and client management.
  • Pipedrive: A sales-focused CRM known for its intuitive visual sales pipelines, helping teams manage deals and track progress efficiently.
  • Keap: Specializes in automation for small businesses, combining CRM functionalities with email marketing and sales pipeline management.
  • HubSpot: A widely recognized platform offering a suite of “hubs” for sales, marketing, customer service, content management, and operations, ideal for businesses seeking integrated solutions.
  • ClickFunnels: Primarily a sales funnel and landing page builder, with some lead collection and basic email marketing capabilities, focusing on conversion-driven online campaigns.
  • Folk: A simple, integrated, and proactive CRM with features like sales pipelines, email campaigns, contact management, and workflow automation.
  • Instantly: This company focuses on lead finding and cold email outreach, offering customer relationship management, lead tracking, and sales process automation.
  • ClickUp: A versatile work management platform that can be customized to function as a CRM, offering features like contact management, sales pipeline views, email integration, and customizable dashboards.
  • Monday CRM: A highly customizable platform structured like a spreadsheet, allowing for full-cycle lead management, sales forecasting, email synchronization, and activity tracking.
  • Capsule CRM: A growth-oriented CRM designed for simplicity, helping businesses manage contacts, track sales deals, and maintain client relationships with features like multiple pipelines and task management.
  • Insightly: A CRM suitable for small to mid-sized businesses, offering contact and project management, workflow automation, and robust reporting, along with a user-friendly interface.
  • Salesforce: A robust, industry-leading CRM platform offering extensive features for sales, marketing, and service, known for its high customizability and scalability for larger enterprises.
  • Zendesk: Primarily a customer service and support platform that also offers robust CRM capabilities, providing end-to-end customer interaction management and analytics.

Freshsales CRM Compared

Here’s a brief comparison of Freshsales CRM with these software solutions:

  • Freshsales CRM vs Pipedrive: Freshsales CRM provides a comprehensive sales solution with integrated communication and AI, whereas Pipedrive excels in visual sales pipeline organization and deal tracking.
  • Freshsales vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel is a robust, all-in-one platform with strong marketing automation and a steeper learning curve, often favored by agencies. Freshsales focuses more on streamlined sales processes and ease of use.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Keap: Freshsales CRM emphasizes intuitive sales management and AI-powered insights; Keap offers powerful sales and marketing automation with a focus on contact management.
  • Freshsales CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales CRM with built-in phone and email; ActiveCampaign is strong in marketing automation, email campaigns, and advanced segmentation.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Hubspot: Freshsales CRM offers AI-powered sales tools and a quicker setup; HubSpot provides an extensive all-in-one suite covering marketing, sales, and customer service.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Clickfunnels: Freshsales CRM is a sales-focused CRM for managing customer interactions, whereas ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels and landing pages.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Folk: Freshsales CRM offers a comprehensive sales platform with AI and automation; Folk focuses on simple, collaborative contact management and visual pipeline organization.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Instantly: Freshsales CRM is a full-fledged sales CRM with robust features; Instantly is primarily an email outreach and cold email automation tool.
  • Freshsales CRM vs ClickUp: Freshsales CRM is designed for streamlining sales processes and managing pipelines; ClickUp is a versatile work OS that encompasses project management, tasks, and CRM functionalities.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Monday CRM: Freshsales CRM provides a dedicated sales solution with intelligent insights, while Monday CRM offers highly customizable boards for managing workflows, including CRM.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Capsule CRM: Freshsales CRM offers a more robust sales CRM with AI features; Capsule CRM focuses on straightforward contact management and sales opportunity tracking.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Insightly: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales tool with AI and comprehensive sales automation; Insightly provides a broader CRM experience, including strong project management capabilities.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Salesforce: Freshsales CRM offers an intuitive, AI-powered sales platform with competitive pricing; Salesforce is a highly customizable, enterprise-grade CRM with an extensive ecosystem and advanced features.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Zendesk: Freshsales CRM focuses on sales automation and pipeline management, while Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform with robust ticketing and support features.
Freshsales Homepagee

Conclusion

Using Freshsales CRM is a great way to help your business grow.

You now know how to manage your sales stages and automate your daily work.

These smart steps help you understand your customers better than ever before.

You can set up your plan today with no strings attached.

It is easy to take actions that save you a lot of time.

Remember to keep good notes on every deal you make.

This keeps your whole team happy and organized.

Are you ready to begin closing more deals and winning every single day?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FreshSales a CRM?

Yes, absolutely. Freshsales is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform designed by Freshworks. It helps sales teams track leads, manage deal pipelines, and automate communication processes like email and phone calls.

Is FreshSales easy to use?

Generally, yes. It is renowned for having a cleaner, more intuitive interface than legacy competitors like Salesforce. Most users find the drag-and-drop pipelines and straightforward navigation easy to master without extensive training.

What are key features of FreshSales Suite?

Freshsales is packed with tools like FreddyAI Co-Pilot for predictive insights, Sales Sequences for automated outreach, and Workflow Automation. It also includes built-in web forms, deal management, and seamless email integration.

What is Freshworks CRM?

“Freshworks CRM” was the former unified branding. The company has since clarified its product line: Freshsales is now the dedicated product for sales automation, while Freshmarketer handles marketing automation. They integrate seamlessly.

What is the difference between contacts and leads in Freshsales?

Think of a Lead as a raw, unqualified prospect—someone you don’t know much about yet. A Contact is an individual who has been qualified, has shown interest, or is an existing customer you are actively engaging with.

What are the two types of forms available in Freshsales suite?

Freshsales typically supports Classic Web Forms for standard data collection (like “Contact Us” pages) and Smart Forms. Smart forms allow you to track visitor behavior and capture lead data automatically from existing forms on your website.

How to use CRM step by step?

Start by importing your existing data (CSV/Excel). Next, customize your deal stages to match your sales process. Connect your email and calendar to sync activities. Finally, set up basic automations, such as welcome emails for new leads.

More Facts about Freshsales

  • Smart Business Helper: Freshsales is a special tool that uses smart technology to help businesses find new customers and sell more products.
  • All-in-One View: It gathers all the details about a customer into one profile so you can see everything you need to know about them at once.
  • The Freddy AI Helper: It features a smart assistant named Freddy AI that looks at your data and tells you which customers are most likely to buy something.
  • Chat Anywhere: You can talk to your customers through email, chat, and social media without ever leaving the Freshsales website.
  • Works with Other Apps: You can connect it to thousands of other popular computer programs using a tool called Zapier.
  • Saves Time: By connecting different programs, you can make the computer do repetitive chores for you, which saves a lot of time.
  • Automatic Filing: When you link other apps, Freshsales can automatically create new files for people, companies, and sales deals.
  • Meeting Planner: It can automatically add meetings and “to-do” lists to your calendar so you don’t forget important dates.
  • Customer Grades: Freddy AI gives each new customer a score from 0 to 100 based on how much they interact with the business.
  • Priority Lists: Scoring customers helps salespeople know which people to call first so they don’t waste time.
  • Automatic Assignments: The system automatically sends new customers to the right salesperson based on where they live or what they are looking for.
  • Keeping Data Clean: It is very important to enter information correctly; otherwise, the smart AI might give the wrong advice.
  • Scoreboards: You can make your own digital dashboards that show “grades” for the sales team and how much they are selling.
  • Cleaning Up: Regularly deleting old or duplicate information keeps the system accurate and easy to use.
  • Task Reminders: The program can send automatic reminders to follow up with customers, making sure nobody is forgotten.
  • Adding Contacts: To put a new person into the system, you just click the “+” icon and choose “Add Contact.”
  • Moving Big Lists: If you have a big list of names, you can upload them all at once using a file called a CSV.
  • Tracking Deals: You can track how much money you might make by clicking “Add Deal” to start a new sales project.
  • Following Up: For every sales deal, you can create specific chores to make sure you stay in touch with the customer.
  • Direct Emailing: You can write and send emails to customers directly inside Freshsales by clicking the “+” icon.
  • Activity History: The system keeps a list of every conversation and meeting you have had with a person so you can look back at it later.

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